Echoes of Mercy Part 1 Angels Descending Series
by 2hearts1soul
Summary: Gabrielle and her little brother Castiel have been running, hiding and living on her wits since he was a baby. They were only passing through Cascade but Castiel falls sick. She has to get him to Hospital but its Hunt night, she's unregistered and unbonded, prey for the pack of hunting Sentinels. How can she keep her baby brother safe and stay free. Female Gabriel / Dean Winchester
1. Chapter 1

Part 1 Echoes of Mercy. Chapter 1

She had been running for ever. One foot in front of the other, again and again and again. Ignoring the weak drizzly rain, ignoring the darkness, ignoring the fear, ignoring the ominous lack of people in the streets, ignoring the shape of the moon and its all pervasive light despite the fitful clouds, the moon which was making its seductive siren call to them, ignoring anything which tried to impinge on her determination to get to safety.

She couldn't tell anymore if the pounding she heard was the sound of the boots of the hunting pack hitting the concrete behind her or the terrified beat of her own heart as she ran, desperately holding on to the beloved child who was whimpering in her arms.

They were quiet, no loud noises, totally focused on the chase, totally focused on her, she knew she was fast, and had stamina, it was a necessary part of the life they led, the ability and sheer stubborn need to go on and on and on in the face of adversity until something happened to relieve it.

But she was being hunted by Sentinels, men and women who could out run God and out stubborn igneous rock so how was she still ahead of them? Why hadn't they run her to ground already? It was almost as if they were careful with her because of the child she was carrying in her arms but that meant those bastards had compassion and she knew they didn't. They were unfeeling monsters and she would not submit, she would not let them get their hands on her little brother and she would never become one of their so called guides, their pretty little name for a sentinel slave.

Whatever the reason for their restraint, she wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth, she would just take any break she could get and try to stay ahead of them.

So tired now but she was so close, she was so close, she could see the building ahead, just through this last alley and across the road, and she would be there, and Cas, her darling Cas, her little brother would be safe. There would be people to help him and he would be safe.

She couldn't think of anything else, she mustn't think of anything else, she had to stay focused on the goal, the prize. She couldn't think of what would happen if she was caught on a hunt night, she had to get him to the building there was no other option.

Pounding, thudding, her legs were so tired, her arms so tired, she blinked the fatigue and treacherous tears away from her eyes. Castiel must be safe, he must be safe.

She was out of the alley, and across the road, darting through the pedestrian entrance to the main parking lot. The small entrance would give them a problem, she knew, there would be confusion, milling around, they would have to fight or wait to get through. Please god they would be distracted from the pair of them for enough time for her to get into the building.  
Despite her fear and exhaustion, she was instinctively still trying to work all the angles to their advantage.

Her desperate single minded focus on the building ahead meant that she missed the fact that more of the pack had joined the hunt; that the black uniformed figures were now coming at her from all sides drawn like bees to honey.

It was the hunters' moon but when the clouds obscured the stars and the moonlight, there was barely any illumination in the dark parking lot and the building she was heading for loomed like a beacon in a black desert. She had to slow down trying to weave through the cars until there was open space and then she tried a burst of speed, Lord her legs were so weak she didn't know how she was standing upright, let alone running for dear life.

She was nearly there, so nearly there, another hundred yards on her trembling pounding legs and she could get him to safety and medical help, they would both be safe, out of the deserted streets, not subject to the rules of the hunt, away from the chasing pack of sentinels.  
But it might as well have been a hundred years away for all the good it did them as the hunting pack closed the circle around her and her precious boy.

She made no sound, she had no breath left in her to make a sound, but they could all hear the frantic racing of her heart born from the sheer physical exertion and the overwhelming fear of the chase. They could hear the gasping breaths she drew into her oxygen starved lungs. They could hear, smell and see her terror as she skidded to a halt, stumbled and fell to her knees on the wet ground in disbelief, still desperately clinging on to the precious bundle in her arms.

Castiel whimpered louder and pressed his hot little face into her cold neck. The burning heat pouring off him branded her cold wet skin where he nestled against her. No, she mustn't stay down, that would be showing weakness, proving she really was prey.  
("Never show weakness, never, not to them or they will gobble you up and spit you out" Ruby's bitter mantra echoed through her head, Ruby the dark haired red lipped streetwise knife wielding tough kid who had shown her how to survive on the streets, after finding her being beaten by a local gang "The Demons" for being on their turf, who had looked after Gabrielle and Castiel until they had had to move on again).

She had to get up and remain standing; she would not be on her knees in front of these monsters.

She put one hand out, down onto the wet gritty ground, refusing to think about what she could be touching as she struggled to her feet. As she rose unsteadily, her gaze swiftly ran over the figures encircling her, not stopping to make eye contact, but horrified at the sheer physical size of most of the group surrounding her.  
They were bloody huge and her eyes widened in despair, a quiet whimper left her lips before she could restrain it. Stop it stop it, show no fear. Don't be prey her frantic thoughts struggled with her instinctive need to stay down, submit to them, to give in.

She saw them all react to the whimper, taking an instinctive step towards her as she struggled upright, and she tensed. Closing the circle had made her feel claustrophobic, defenceless and so alone.  
She swayed with exhaustion but she wouldn't give in, she wouldn't stay down, she had to get him to the hospital, she had to. She didn't care how big these buggers were, she thought with desperate bravado.

She wiped her wet hand on her clothes, and then tightened her grip on the little one as she turned in a circle trying to find a way passed them, through them, Dear God above them or under them, anything.  
Her brain raced with mad desperate thoughts. Why didn't she have actual wings instead of the mocking tattoo that adorned her left shoulder? If only they were real she could just fly the pair of them away and never have to worry about Sentinels or hunters ever again.

There had to be a way out of this. If she couldn't do it physically maybe she could convince them to let her take her sick little brother to the hospital. She refused to acknowledge the pain of remembrance those particular words had flung at her, she still missed Uriel, her darling sweet big brother Uri so much.

She just had to think, to find the way to get them to open this circle up. She was so tired but she just had to think. It was her wits which kept them free, allowed them to survive the life they lead, knowing when to run and when it was safe to stay a while.

She could con, blag and trick her way into or out of most situations. It was her only weapon, using her clever mind, angelic features, sweet voice and youth, making her the perfect trickster, one she had honed to keep her little brother safe and stay one step ahead of those chasing them. People, safe secure ordinary normal people underestimated her; dangerous, bad people didn't see her as a threat. She just tried to slip under their radar with her little brother.

She was so close to safety and medical help for Castiel. Words, she needed to try words, they weren't in frenzy yet, perhaps they would listen to her if she could find the right words. Not just words, the right persona for them to dismiss her as not a guide prospect.

She had never tried to lie to Sentinels before, she had never dared, they could always tell, they could see the physical results of someone trying to lie, which was why they made such good cops, the faster heart rate, the beading sweat were all giveaways to a Sentinel, so it would be an interesting experiment wouldn't it, as she had been running afraid with those hounds of hell sentinels chasing they be able to tell that she was lying? When she played young dumb and scared. Not that was so far from the truth right now, she could kick herself for her stupidity and she was bloody scared.

The young part was stretching it a bit, but she had used the young teenager scam successfully and it was the young part which was going to save their hides tonight if she could pull it off as there were rules on age limits for the capture of unbonded guides during hunt nights.

Please, please dear father above let there not be any powerful empathic guides with this group or she and her plan were sunk.

She kept her head down and made herself look smaller, defenceless, and then pitched her voice a little higher so it came out breathless, young and scared.

"_'m sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to run but you scared me and my brother needs a doctor. Please, don't hurt us, please we have no money, Our Pa didn't leave us any money I swear, I just got to take my little brother to the free clinic cos he's real sick. Please don't hurt us"_ she whimpered, distorting her accent, letting her very real fear of the situation rise to the surface to add depth to her words.

Fear was fear right, and she would use what she had to try to get free.

One of the sentinels to the side called out not unkindly "_Why were you running from us kid?" _She lifted her head to respond, and they could see her white, fear filled face.

"_Scared_" she almost whispered "_Don't know why you chased us, got no money I swear."_ She was mixing truth and lies, please god let it work, let there be enough doubt in their minds that they would let her and her little brother go.

There was some disbelieving snorts and rumblings from the group around her and before they could say anything else, she continued in that low timid voice as if she was afraid of their reaction, which still wasn't so far from the truth, she was bloody terrified of their reaction  
"_Pa said Cascade is dangerous, gang dangerous and we weren't to leave the digs until he came back but Cas is sick and I have to get him to a doctor"_

She allowed her voice to fade out. And Castiel whimpered in pain. Fear flared again for her little brother, God she needed to get him to that clinic. It was so bloody close and they were just keeping her here. Being held in her arms in the cold and rainy night wasn't going to make him better anytime soon. She could literally feel his temperature rising.

"_Are you telling us that you didn't know it's a hunt night and that we are Sentinels_" scoffed another disbelieving hard voice.

She was still distracted by Castiel as she responded, and suddenly anger kicked in, subsuming her fear and making her sound even more like a kid.  
_"Why would Sentinels chase us ? My brother's sick. You scared us both, you are still scaring us. Is that what you do for fun in this godforsaken place?__ And how would I know its hunt night, we are only passing through."_

For a few appalled seconds she thought she had blown it, but no-on seemed to want to challenge her version of events.

But she had more important things to worry about, her shouting had made her little brother shudder and moan.

She looked down at his beloved face and then deliberately dialled down her fear and rage; predators were attracted to fear, she had to try to get them to think straight and do the right thing and let them go. After all she thought with a sneer, Sentinels had a reputation to maintain as the good guys didn't they even if they were monsters.

So she tried to project conciliatory reason and calm.

"_Please"_ she begged quietly, her voice and posture screaming defeated weariness "_he needs a Doctor, please"_

* * *

AN: First Supernatural Fic. Set in the Sentinel universe. Bit of a challenge

Would be grateful for comments, none of this is canon, its all AU, but would appreciate any insight on the characters.. Ta Muchly...also apologies, British writer here so may not be using the right terminology !

The title comes from Fanny J Crosby  
"Angels descending, bring from above  
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love"  
Part 1 Echoes of Mercy  
Part 2 Whispers of Love

Two fabulous stories inspired this on AO3: Dolimar's "Moonhunt" and Stella's "Moonrise"

Disclaimers: No infringement intended, belongs to the ones they belong to...  
Just playing in their worlds, and it is such fun.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2. Echoes of Mercy

"_Please"_ she begged quietly, her voice and posture screaming defeated weariness "_he needs a Doctor, please"_

She kept her eyes lowered watching their combat boots, knowing better than to look anyone of them in the face, to issue a challenge or get caught in a gaze so intense she would be locked in a bonding room with an unbonded sentinel before she could remember to blink.

She could feel the weight of their fascination beating down upon the pair of them. She felt like a terrified mouse waiting for the playful cats to pounce and gobble her all up after they had finished having fun.

She knew they could all hear her despite the oddly garbled sound of the traffic swishing gently over the wet roads and through the faint drizzling rain, as the vehicles passed the medical centre. They were sentinels, they could hear a cockroach fart in the middle of a busy office two miles away if they decided they wanted or needed to.

She wouldn't have been out on a moonhunt night if this wasn't an emergency. Most of the hospitals in this city had turned her away when she had confirmed that they didn't have medical insurance and pointed her to the only free clinic available. The clinic owned and operated by the Sentinels and Guides of the Western Sentinel Republic. The one clinic she had refused to consider.

She had been so scared that their secret would be discovered if they went there that she had almost left it too late and Cas was now so ill, she was frantic with guilt and worry for him. She had rung them but they didn't have any ambulances available to collect them. It was moon hunt night after all so ironically they were all tied up with the poor unfortunate captured guides and then monitoring the forced bonding of Sentinels and Guides.  
If it hadn't been hunt night she and her baby brother would have been safely in the back of one of their vehicles and at the damn clinic by now.

She hadn't had the money for a cab, and she couldn't tell the clinic that she couldn't get her dangerously ill little brother there because she was afraid of the moon hunt.  
It would have stirred up too many questions. She and Cas couldn't afford to answer their questions.  
This godforsaken dangerous place was only supposed to be a pit stop on their way to safer pastures where the WSR did not have any influence. She had promised to take care of her brother and she was failing pitifully.

The powerful wave of soothing comfort and concern directed at her from all of them was nearly her undoing, the urge to let them lift her burdens, to have help for Cas, for someone to take the fear away was so seductive that it was only Castiel's whimper that pulled her back from the brink of instinctive and nearly total submission.  
Liars, they were all liars she knew they were liars. They were bigger tricksters than she was. At least her trickery was only to keep her little brother and herself safe. The Sentinels were monsters, not protectors, and they would destroy anyone who tried to unmask them. Like they had destroyed her mother the very day that Castiel had been born. No she wouldn't forget, she couldn't afford to forget. Castiel's life depended on not forgetting that.

It was the fatigue, she was exhausted or she wouldn't have been tempted to submit.  
He was her brother, she had promised to look after him, she couldn't, and she wouldn't let him down. Her brother, they only had each other now. She had to focus on that. Whilst she was thinking of him, she felt a gentle exploratory nudge at her mind. No, oh gods no, one of them was trying to link. She strengthened her mind shields and the pressure was gone.

Suddenly the fear and anxiety began to change to a deep, deep anger.  
"_Relax Sweetheart, don't be scared, it's ok, we'll look after the two of you now"_ were the soothing words of one of the hunters in front of her.  
There was a soft murmur of approval and agreement from the rest of the pack. The implication being that she would not be in a position to do so, she thought with dread.

The man who spoke to her seemed shorter than most of them, but he was standing besides one of the largest most imposing Sentinels she had ever seen, so it could be a perception thing. He had lots of hair, dark cascading curls over his shoulders and blue, blue eyes that sparkled with excitement, but portrayed a deep concern.  
His cheeks were flushed from the chase but his smile was wide, sweet and genuine and she could feel the incredible strength in him as he reached out to comfort and calm her with his mind.  
He was a guide, he was a bloody guide and he was working with the hunting sentinels. He was nothing but a pimp, a bloody procurer. Bastard!

She forgot her chosen trick; she forgot she was trying to be a frightened young kid thinking she was being attacked. She forgot everything as the boiling submerged anger erupted at his betrayal into white hot rage, and unconsciously she retaliated, she directed that rage into a slap at the other Guide with her power.

There was an astonished collective gasp, as if they had all felt it. Good she thought savagely, think about that you superior swines. Hope it makes you wonder if I can do more. But it was an empty threat and she knew it. She had never been trained to deal with her power only suppress and hide it. She didn't even know how she had managed that slap, her power was not designed to hurt, it was for nurturing, comforting and soothing, and she was truly exhausted from the emotional and physical exertion of this night.

Then her tired brain gave her something else to worry about. To her growing horror she realised that if they had all felt it, it meant he was linked to all of them. If he was linked to all of them he was at least a pack guide, but after feeling the power seeping from him, she realised he must be the clan guide.  
Oh dear lord no, if he was a clan guide on a moon hunt, then that meant the Alpha Prime of the area was also in the circle of Sentinels surrounding her and Castiel.  
Her eyes widened with horrified comprehension as she stared at the calm Guide who was looking at her with such understanding concern that she knew he was a liar and a cheat and her eyes swung to the huge scowling Sentinel standing protectively next to him, the man mountain who took a threatening step towards her, but was brought up short by the Guide's calming hand.

Her eyes widened with horror as she met the huge Sentinel's gaze for a second and saw the menace shimmering in his eyes. Paling she dropped her eyes instinctively. Sheer unadulterated fear forced another tiny whimper from her mouth. She wanted to curl up and just cry, bawl her eyes out until this nightmare was over, but she couldn't, and she had Castiel to look after, to be strong for. Bloody, bloody, bloody scary sentinels. She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. She and Cas were so screwed.

She hadn't hurt the chatty Guide but he had taken an involuntary step back and the look of shock on his face was priceless, though she missed seeing the utter fascination and then the focused determination which replaced it as the warning growls of the Sentinels surrounding her distracted her, and despite her fear, she bared her teeth at them in a hiss.

Then she felt ridiculous, even embarrassed, she was a frightened kitten facing down a hunting pack of big cats, the panther clan who were led by their Alpha Sentinel, a very angry Alpha Sentinel who was now solely focused on her. She had his total undivided attention. She shivered and felt sick.

He knew, oh God he and the Guide both knew she had tried to fool them, and he was really angry because it had nearly worked. She was so, so, so screwed. How could she keep Castiel safe now?  
She so just wanted to drop to her knees and beg for mercy because right now he was the scariest thing she had seen on two legs. But Cas, baby brother Castiel, he was the important thing here and she wasn't letting some overgrown muscle bound toy soldier frighten her from looking after her Castiel. She tore her attention away from the Alpha Sentinel and looked at the Alpha guide.

She hunched over the child protectively _"My brother_" she spat defiantly, the emphasis on the pronoun. _"I don't know you"_ she continued grimly _"and unless you are a medical doctor you are not touching him"._

The words were clear but the accent and tone had changed, it was stronger, older and strangely lilting. No point trying to fool them anymore not when the gimlet eyed Alpha and the nosy powerful Guide already knew she was lying.

The shocked surprise rippling through the surrounding pack turned to an indulgent almost proud amusement, as if her attempt to deceive them was a clever little magic trick she had performed entirely for their entertainment, and that brought home to her exactly how helpless she was in this situation.

They weren't going to let her go, they weren't going to allow her to take him to the clinic and stay with him. They would look after him but she wouldn't be there for Cas until the Sentinel chosen for her allowed it, and it was possible he or she would never allow it, especially when they found out that she and her brother were not registered, were not from their precious Republic, she would be kept from Castiel forever, slave to the whims of a stranger, a powerful Sentinel, she would never see her baby brother again…

The musings of her terrified brain had a physical response in her body, she couldn't hold onto the righteous anger, her heartbeat began to race, and the pack surrounding her began to shift with tension, she looked at the Guide directly in front of her and began to shake with terror, she knew they were all aware of it, but no words would come out of her stricken throat, she could feel the tears starting to leak from her eyes, she was finding it hard to breath, she couldn't cut off another tiny whimper which left her trembling lips, and she couldn't stop her brain from broadcasting her distress, it was even scaring her barely conscious brother, when suddenly she felt herself swung up into a pair of strong arms, clutched tightly to a broad chest and then the strange Sentinel took off at a run.  
It startled a frightened childish wail out of her mouth and it took a few seconds for her brain to realise that they were running towards the clinic.

She heard the startled shouts of the pack as they gave chase but the Sentinel was incredibly fast. His burst of speed despite the burden he carried put him well ahead of the other hunters. She didn't struggle, she was no match for a Sentinel with this kind of strength, she just held onto Cas for dear life as she tried to reduce the effects of the jolting as the Sentinel ran.

He burst through the door of the clinic minutes ahead of the pack, and came to a halt.

The pack stopped outside. God she was confused, terrified, panic stricken andcompletely confused. By the letter of the law, she was indoors and now safe, but she was carried in a Sentinel's arms, so what was going to happen next

* * *

AN:

Please let me know what you think. Thanks

Not mine only playing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 Echoes of Mercy**

The Sentinel gently released her but held onto her until she regained her balance on the ground, and then stood silently waiting for her to look at him. He had barely broken into a sweat and his breathing was even. Her terror at Guide Sandburg's words, at the thought of losing her little brother, had made the link straight from his brain to his heart via his deepest Sentinel instincts. He couldn't turn his back on her. It was so clear to him, he had to provide for his Guide, he couldn't stop it and there was only one thing he could do for her at that point.

She was so scared poor kid. Even that nearly successful lying attempt proved just how scared she really was. She was a clever and quick witted little thing. He would have to remember that because she was bound to lead him a merry dance when they were together and although he just wanted to keep her in his arms to comfort and sooth her, it was not what she needed right now.

He could still feel the warmth of her body against his, the joy and power of holding his Guide, his destined mate in his arms and fierce desire curled in his gut. He could feel his Panther clamouring to claim his mate, his guide, his soul, to keep her safe, to protect, to bond. "Mine, Mine,Mine" began to thrum through his body.  
But her obvious youth and fear, her obvious distrust and her bone deep need to tend to her little brother allowed him to reign back his Sentinel nature, gave him the ability to delay the claiming. Although there would be no mercy for anyone who tried to come between them. He was a stubborn man, from a long line of stubborn men, and he would do what was best for his guide first.

He shook his head slightly, she still hadn't turned to look at him. What the bloody hell was happening? Goddamnit, how the hell had he ended up with a guide? He truly hadn't been looking for a guide on this hunt night, he had never really been looking for a guide, his life was not conducive to that rom com shit, but it was pack rules that all Sentinels had to attend at least one Hunt night every quarter and he had been pushing his luck lately.

He had received a not so subtle reminder about it, and had been asked if he wanted to discuss the matter with the Alpha Prime of Cascade. He respected Alpha Ellison but he didn't want to explain to him why he wasn't too worried about not finding a guide, why in fact he did not want to bond. His life wasn't a frigging chic flick. Things were so complicated with his younger brother and the rest of the family that he didn't have the energy to worry about a Guide. When he needed Guide assistance, he could get it. He didn't bloody need it on tap, he knew how to control his senses, most of the time  
It wasn't like he had any problem getting sex when he wanted it, he had charm and looks and he knew how to use it, his little brother used to tell him he'd hump a table leg if he had nothing else.

He wasn't even sure that he believed the official publicized version of the Sentinel Guide relationship. He knew Guides helped with the Sentinel senses, he had been on the receiving end of that talent since he had come online as a young kid, but the soul mate crap, he hadn't bought in to, he wasn't an idiot.. As far as he was concerned it just looked like a stronger urge to fuck for the most part, and his libido was fine as he was thank you very much.

Tonight to get "them" off his back he had joined the hunt, and he was pleasantly surprised, he had forgotten how enjoyable it was to listen to the siren song of the moon and just run, to get caught up in the chase, to allow the primal urge free reign when he had restrained it for so long.  
Running with his pack mates had answered some deep need he had ignored for too long, and then he had been caught up in the strange chase for the girl with the child in her arms.  
She couldn't outrun them but she had stamina and strength, and there was a determined almost unconscious guide power which shielded her, a power which had called to the other guides and sentinels like a magnet until it had also reeled in the Alpha Prime and Alpha Guide mated pair, a power which sang to him, and no doubt all of the rest of them, until the panther's curiosity couldn't be denied and she was followed by ninety percent of the pack who were out on Hunt night.

He had stood in that circle and although he had felt sorry for the kid, he hadn't quite bought into her original story, he knew she was afraid but there was something off about her voice. It didn't sound the way it was supposed to. There was something pulling at him, she was pulling at him and he hadn't even realised that his mind had tried a link with her until he felt her shields slap him away. But that brief touch, mind to mind had proved addicting, he wanted, needed more. She had burst in like the bright sunny light of a beautiful spring day, cool, blue and full of promise. The fact that she was his hummed through the actual cells of his body.

His eyes skimmed the girl in front of him with fascination. She was just above average height, her clothes were shabby and thin, not enough covering for this cold night, the cheap grey hoody which made her look so young, her long legs covered in faded worn out old jeans, dirty from the splashing and exertion of running through the streets for all that time.  
He felt an irrational pride at how she had eluded the pack for so long, even with the child in her arms. His mate, his guide. His bond-mate as soon as he got her horizontal.

He needed to get her to his territory soon, it would be better for the pair of them if he was in his territory, or as a last resort one of the standard bonding rooms required by law in every public building but she was going to be horizontal and soon. Then he realised. Shit,his lustful thoughts, his sentinel needs were taking over his determination to allow her to help her brother.  
If she didn't give him some reaction soon, something he could hold onto while she dealt with her brother, she would be on the floor beneath him after he slung the kid at the nearest medic, His skin started to itch, and the sounds of the hospital began to increase in volume until he was distracted by her hair.

Dishevelled blonde curls fell from the band designed to restrain them, and covered her thin face as she hunched over the little boy, but she finally raised her head and looked at him with startled, fearful and grateful eyes, eyes the colour of the sea on a stormy day, but with a golden band around the iris.  
It was her eyes which pulled him out of the threatened grey zone and bump started his brain again.  
His sentinel gaze took in the fact that she was too thin, his protective instincts kicked in, she needed to eat more. But he thrust those thoughts away, and forced himself to concentrate as the tantalising aroma of his guide and mate drifted up to his nostrils. Peppery mint overlaid with soothing lavender with the top notes of fear, anger, hunger and love. His lust receded a little and allowed his brain to function

"_Give me your name darling_" he asked softly, yearning in his voice and his luminous green eyes. He hungered to hear her voice again, and by speaking to him voluntarily, it would appease his spirit animal for a little while longer.

He saw her swallow and open her mouth to respond, but it was the little boy who spoke first, he raised his head from his sister's shoulder and from beneath the mop of straight black hair that needed a damn good cut, his feverish blue eyed glare from his luminous white face was directed at the Sentinel

"She's Gabrielle, my Elle" he challenged the man in front of him, and then shrank back against his sister as hacking coughs racked his little body.

The Hunter couldn't help it, even though the challenge had come from a sick little boy, his sentinel nature overcame his logic and common sense. He had been challenged for his mate.  
He bent his head to the juncture of her shoulder and her neck and breathed that scent in, then as the main doors to the clinic swished open and the Alpha prime, his clan guide and his two beta seconds entered, he licked a strip of her throat to her chin and back down again, finally sinking his teeth into the sensitive area between neck and shoulder, his panther purred with pleasure at the sweet coppery taste which hit his tongue and flooded his senses with his guide, but as quickly as he took the bite, he removed his teeth, licking it closed, he couldn't allow the bite to continue or she would be on the floor beneath him while he claimed her in public, all the while staring straight into those stunned beautiful sea green blue eyes.  
Satisfaction flashed across his face, he had started the imprinting, now she belonged to him. No one could take her away.

He tasted her fear and her need, and her love and worry for her brother. Her brother, she needed to deal with her little brother. Reluctantly he broke the link of their gazes, licked the traces of blood from her throat and before he turned to answer to his furious clan Alpha, he used his body to shield her from the sight of his pack, nudging her gently towards the inner door leading to the reception desk, and told her huskily "_Get your brother to a doctor darling"._

Fear ebbed from her eyes until there was only startled gratitude, she freed one hand from her brother and she began to raise it tentatively to his face, but she stopped before she touched him as she caught sight of the angry Sentinels behind him. He saw the fear bloom in her eyes again, so he gently pushed her towards the doors.

She fled. He gritted his teeth and locked his limbs into place so as not to give into his instinctive need to chase, capture and mate and turned to look stoically at the leaders of his pack.

The rage in his Alpha's face made his panther offer his throat in submission. He saw the Sentinel stalk towards him and he closed his eyes and waited for his punishment.

The Alpha was barely inches away from him when he heard the conciliatory tones of the clan guide ask his mate for calm.

"_Hey big guy_, _Jim, please wait"._

"_This is a discipline problem Sandburg_" the Alpha growled, not ready to listen but the tone of his bonded guide's entreaty gave him pause.

_"I'm not saying it isn't Jim, but what harm will it do if he answers some questions first. Please Jim, its important_"

The Sentinel could feel his Alpha's breath ghost against his face as he responded to the Clan guide. He dialled down his senses as his Alpha's rage was nearly overwhelming. Then he felt him step back a few paces and the smaller man came nearer.

The powerful Guide's voice did not change, it was still kind and calm as he addressed him but the Sentinel knew better than to ignore it.

"_Its' Dean, Dean Winchester isn't it Sentinel_?"

Dean opened his eyes and looked at Sandburg. His green eyes wary but not insolent or defiant. He knew he was in enough trouble already without upsetting the powerful Clan guide and mate of the Alpha Prime.

_"Yes Guide Sandburg_"

The blue eyes of the Guide burned into his, his mind seeking entrance to the mind of the Sentinel, demanding his total honesty.

"_Tell me why Dean?"_ he ordered softly. The Sentinel felt the full force of the clan guide power, and he went to his knees for him when he hadn't for his Alpha,

_"She needed, I provided Guide_" he said simply as he looked up into Sandburg's face. He hid nothing from him, allowed him entry into his mind and soul. The Guide's golden warmth soothed as it searched. He felt some of the anger drain from the rest of the Sentinels.

"_She needed to help her brother_" he continued and then shrugged his shoulders helplessly as if he didn't know what else to say. Dean had never been big on words when it came to his emotions and he didn't know how to explain it to the genius professor in front of him, or explain it to his Alpha. He expected and accepted the punishment he was going to get from his Alpha for betraying the hunt but he wouldn't have done it any differently. She was his guide and she needed.

Sandburg's eyes never left his face; he nodded once as if in understanding.

"_You have a brother too don't you Sentinel?"_ he probed, and they all saw the kneeling Sentinel repress a flinch. His Alpha spoke in a considering tone, "_Winchester, your brother is Samuel Winchester"._The two Betas exchanged an understanding grimace behind the backs of the Alpha and the Clan Guide

Dean nodded stiffly but didn't say another word. He dipped his head and so missed the looks that were exchanged between the Alpha and his Guide. He knelt there waiting for his punishment.

His Alpha spoke in a calm neutral voice, "_What you did was unorthodox at best Sentinel and there is a fine line between betrayal of the hunt and protecting a mate from a hunt frenzy."_ Dean looked up at him, bracing himself.

_"I would not deliberately betray the clan or pack my Alpha_" he offered quietly and they all knew he wasn't lying. His use of the submissive "my Alpha" was a further indication that he would accept any punishment Ellison chose to give him.

There was a pause and some of the anger seemed to drain from the Alpha, but his expression became more thoughtful and considering.

_"I could break the bond_" his Alpha mused, not taking his gimlet eyes away from the kneeling Sentinel _"its just a tenuous link at the moment, not even half formed_"

Winchester flinched and looked up at him with horror, _"Please Alpha, it would punish her too and she is innocent of this"_ he forced the pleading words past his dry throat.

"_Innocent_" Ellison growled deliberately, _"She defied the hunt_".

_"You know lots of guides, especially the young ones defy the claim on a hunt night Jim, they are just afraid. We don't punish them; we comfort them and ease them into their new life once the bonding is complete. The little one had an overriding priority, she was more afraid for the life of her brother, and though we all felt it, we wanted to deal with it our way not hers, only Winchester accepted her need properly and did something about it, you know he is her bond mate." __  
_The calm considered words of the Beta Joel Taggert gave Dean hope, he knew he was one of the Alpha's closest advisors.

"_Jim, Joel's right, you know he is."_ The guide added his opinion softly, still not taking his eyes of the young sentinel, whose face did not reflect the anxious fear he was feeling.

The other Beta interjected angrily. Simon Banks did not agree and his anger was clear and growing.  
"_Jim, this is Dean Winchester, he's a fucking man whore, you can't actually be considering allowing him to bond with that innocent kid in there"_

Winchester snarled at the powerful Beta and received the same back before the man continued "_We all felt her power, she held us off Jim, while she was running, carrying the kid, she held us off and it was only the combined power of the pack that allowed us to get close enough to her to actually stop her. Are you seriously telling me that you are going to allow this little punk to bond with a guide of that power who is also an innocent?"_

Winchester surged up in one movement, roaring "_Mine_" and leapt for the man. It took the combined efforts of the Alpha, his Guide and the other Beta to separate the two fighting Sentinels.  
Finally Ellison looming over the shorter man, had Dean pinned by the throat up against the wall, his other arm against his chest, and leaning his considerable bulk into the struggling Sentinel until the territorial possessive haze of his bond rage cleared from those fierce green eyes and Dean actually saw his Alpha, not the obstacle which was keeping him from destroying the threat to his mate bond.

Ellison eased up on the pressure on his throat and looked deep into those clear green eyes which held nothing back from him. He asked wearily.

"_Are you sure you know what you are doing Boy? They are illegals you know that, not registered and we will need to find out who they are and from where. She will try to run with him again"  
_  
He paused and sighed. No bonding was ever easy, even when both Sentinel and Guide were eager for it, but this, this mess with the girl and the kid, the fact that Dean had not wanted a Guide and had been avoiding the hunts deliberately until Jim could in good conscience no longer ignore it, this had the potential to cause his young Sentinel even more grief and heartache than the whole bloody nightmare with Winchester's younger brother. They were not the luckiest family in existence the Winchesters.

Ellison felt the soothing reassuring touch of his own Guide; he must have been leaking his emotions all over this one. He just hoped Dean Winchester had the same hard arsed contrary bloody minded sheer stubbornness that had characterised the life and death of that brutal old bastard John Winchester, the boy's father. A legendary hunter sentinel and army General in the days before the Republic had found a way to live if not exactly peacefully with its enemies, then at least without the need for open warfare.

The eldest son of the late John Winchester looked back at his Alpha steadily and Ellison could see the stubborn jut of his chin, and the way his lips firmed,

"_She is my responsibility now, they both are mine and I will take care of them Sentinel Ellison_" Dean stated calmly but Ellison could see the nervous uncertainty in his eyes.

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AN: Hope you enjoyed please review


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

By five am the next morning, the little boy was finally completely asleep, pumped full of medication and his temperature nearly at a normal level. She had spent the time soothing him, making sure he was comfortable, making sure he took his medication, stopping him from trying to remove the intravenous drip, singing silly songs and reciting their favourite poem over and over to him and finally dozing fitfully with her head on his bed, and his small hand clenched tightly in her hair.

The kind guide nurse had woken her gently and told her to go and get something to eat and drink ushering her unwillingly from the room. She stood lost for a few seconds, too exhausted to be aware of her surroundings, her eyes closed with sadness and despair, leaning against the corridor wall. She was suddenly so tired and hungry that she couldn't actually stand, she kept her eyes closed as she felt her legs give way on her and she slid slowly down the wall to land with a little bump gracefully on her backside, then she tucked her legs up against her chest as she rested her aching head onto her knees. She tried valiantly to stop the few weak tears which had escaped in her exhaustion. Just a couple of minutes, she would rest there for a couple of minutes and then see if she could find some water. She didn't have any money on her to buy anything else; she had lost her backpack in the chase last night, no she couldn't think about last night yet, she was too tired to take it all in, to understand what had happened, to deal with what came next.

"_Hey hon, don't freak"_ a soft soothing male voice spoke directly in front of her

Her head jerked back, opening her eyes in fright and then winced with pain as she smacked her head into the wall. Kneeling there holding out a pack of sandwiches was the Guide from last night, his curly brown hair now pulled back into a pony tail and his vivid laughing kind blue eyes staring straight into her confused sea green grey orbs. She rubbed at the back of her head to try to ease the physical pain even if she could do nothing about the anxious frightened tears filling her eyes as she looked back at the guide. She was too tired to handle this now; please she just needed a rest.

She wasn't even sure if she spoke that thought aloud because his eyes crinkled with sympathy and she felt his power wash over, reacting to her vivid distress, with a strong soothing comfort, so kind with a deep ingrained joy. She felt it ease some of the physical tiredness and sooth her distress.

It was then she realised that he was also a Shaman. Shit, she had slapped out in a temper at a Clan Shaman, she was lucky he hadn't retaliated and turned her spirit animal into a toad. She must have spoken aloud because the Guide stared at her and chuckled. He lent forward and whispered "What's wrong with toads?"

She couldn't help it, for a second she grinned back at him, and the other watchers in the room saw her tired face come to life with amusement. There was a sound of an in-drawn breath which pulled her attention from the Guide's smiling face, and the warmth directed at her and she saw the Sentinels behind him. Her eyes widened.

Not as many as last night, just four Sentinels, four enormous Sentinels, standing there blocking the corridor and the exits, and with their senses totally focused on her. She gulped. Sweet baby Jesus did these guys have to be so big. To her eyes they literally vibrated with power, a power that was fixated on her. She could feel them drawing her essence in. They would find her anywhere.

"_Oh bugger"_ she muttered despairingly. There were swift smiles and a couple of hastily hidden chuckles. She was so glad that they found her amusing, she thought resentfully.

"_Where are you from Sweetie, that accent is not from the States, its European isn't it?_" the Shaman asked his head tilted curiously. Then there was a warning grunt from the biggest baddest Sentinel she had ever seen, the one who had scared her so much last night, who also had startling blue eyes, his sigh of "_Chief"_ was amused, knowing and long suffering.

Oh God, it was the Alpha of the Clan. How could she have forgotten about him?

She had to keep Castiel safe. They mustn't take him away from her.

The Shaman shot the Sentinel an apologetic but mischievous smile, then turned back to the wary exhausted and scared girl in front of him.

_"C'mon, the chairs in the waiting area are a lot more comfortable than this cold floor. You can eat these sandwiches which are nothing but fast food crap and I should have got you something healthier but there was nothing left at the restaurant and these are the best of the bunch but at least you can have a warm drink and then we can have a chat"._

Gabrielle stared at him in wide eyed wonder as the Guide didn't even seem to have to draw breath, she had never heard anyone speaking so much in such a short period of time and her absorption was so great that she didn't notice that as he spoke he put a gentle hand on her arm.  
But she did notice, she couldn't help but notice the menacing growl erupting from the Sentinel who was farthest away from her, who seemed to be flanked by the two others.

Gabrielle couldn't stop the shiver of fear which slid down her backbone. Why were they always so bloody big and imposing and scary? They always had to growl didn't they? Why couldn't they just bloody speak properly, who thought it was normal to growl at people? Bloody "We are Masters of the Universe and don't you forget it" Sentinels that's who.

Then suddenly she realised who it was that had growled with such menace, the Sentinel who had broken ranks and brought her to the clinic, the one who had started to imprint her.

_"Bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger and triple dipped bugger_" The quiet words were still audible to the rest of the people in the room. But she was only aware that she uttered them aloud when she saw the Guide wince slightly.

Dear God she had forced last night out of her head in her concentration and focus on soothing Castiel and now it all came rushing back. Her eyes widened with fright. Were they going to take her now?

The other Sentinels had stiffened in response to the initial sound, and a deeper answering growl erupted from the big bad Sentinel as he moved to stand protectively in front of his kneeling Guide and the slumped girl.

Gabriel couldn't help it, she blurted out with tired irritation "_For the love of … can't you people just use words?_"

The Guide in front of her shot her a startled slightly reproving look, but his lips twitched and he turned back to the floor show. The others, the Sentinels ignored her words although she knew damn well that they had heard her.

The Sentinel who had made the warning growl uttered hoarsely "_Forgive me Guide Sandburg, but don't touch, I can handle the rest of it but don't touch her"_

Gabrielle looked over at the man whose green eyes were burning into her arm where the Shaman was resting his hand. His face was as beautiful as she remembered from last night, she hadn't been sure if she had imagined him but she had never seen such a beautiful male face in her life. Though now it was also white with fatigue and grim determination.

The Guide swiftly removed his hand and then those gorgeous green eyes looked up and focused directly onto her face. She drew a hitching breath as she felt his powerful pain and longing, could feel him waiting patiently for her. No, no this wasn't supposed to happen, there had to be a way out of this. They couldn't expect her to just submit to this…It wasn't fair!

_"Sentinel_" the big Sentinel spoke calmly, "_if you can't handle being here, you can wait in the lobby" _

_"No_" Her instinctive denial shocked her to the core, where the hell had that come from? What was the matter with her? She had whispered the word but they all heard her, and some of the tension left the body of the beautiful brown haired and green eyed sentinel. Why did she keep on thinking the word beautiful when it came to him? It should be handsome but he was beautiful. Stop it, stop it, stop it, she scolded herself frantically. She couldn't afford to buy into that sentinel guide soul mate crap, there was too much at stake.

Oddly some of the tension left the rest of the Sentinels also.

She thought about the beau.. er the green eyed sentinel's earlier words, he didn't want the Guide touching …. Oh right. She had to do something or there was going to be bloodshed and she and Cas were right slap bang in the middle of it.

She dipped her gaze a little so as to avoid his eyes but kept facing him as she said

"_Sentinel, please, I…. I need help to get up. I don't think I can do it by myself"._

Clever, clever girl, thought Blair Sandburg, he knew she was clever and resourceful from the way she tried to manipulate the situation last night, not realising that her guide power was so strong that it called out to them all on the hunt, and damn it she had nearly succeeded, until she had thrown that unexpected psychic punch in her terrified anger.

He was intrigued, no more than that, he was fascinated by her and her brother and he knew that they needed to learn this kid's secrets, because if she didn't need help desperately then he had no right to be called Clan Guide and Shaman.  
But right at the moment he was actually proud of the young inexperienced guide, asking the sentinel's permission without acknowledging the bond, it would soothe Dean but she would not be committed to anything yet, or so she thought.

It was going to be his task to make her understand what was going to happen next, whether she liked it or not.

There was a small silence as they all waited for the Sentinel's response. Finally she lifted her eyes to his face, and as if that was what he was waiting for, the brilliant glittering green eyes softened and he nodded gently, at total odds with his aggressive body language towards the other Sentinels.

Guide Sandburg went to put down the sandwiches in order to help her, but before he could finish, the Alpha Sentinel huffed his impatience, glared ferociously at the restrained Sentinel, and without removing his gaze from the man, bent down and picked the girl up as easily as if she was a bag of groceries. He ignored the irritated scolding of his mate "_Goddamn it Ellison"_and the startled squeak of the too thin young kid in his arms and carried her towards the seating. His fierce glare dared Winchester to growl at him, and damn that boy knew how to keep his mouth shut because he didn't make a sound though those green eyes became as hard as emeralds.

Despite his fierce demeanour, he was well aware that this clever little trickster was scared half out of her mind of him, of the rest of the Sentinels, of his guide and the whole situation, that she was exhausted, hungry, thirsty and anxious for her brother, desperate to run and that she was also feeling the bond need with the proximity of her Sentinel.

He sat her gently on the bench, studied her assessingly as she tried to glare up at him defiantly but he saw straight through that to the bone deep weariness and stark fear in those young old eyes, and suddenly he was angry again, why wasn't there someone looking after the two of them so that this kid didn't have to carry it all on her thin young shoulders.  
He surprised himself as he stroked her hair once in a soothing, paternal gesture before he moved away to make room for his irritated scowling mate to sit beside her.  
Anger dissolved, he nearly grinned, and Blair was so cute when he was irritated but wisely he refrained from saying it, knowing their bond link was conveying his amusement to his irate mate anyway. The scowl on his bonded Guide's face promised retribution in his near future.

He took up position where he could see the whole room and everyone in it, far enough away to allow the kid to relax a little but close enough to protect his own guide.

Blair was filling a plastic cup from the thermos flask he took out of his copious bag. He handed the cup to the girl and as the aroma reached her nostrils, she looked up at him and smiled shyly, but with real gratitude "_Hot chocolate"_ she almost whispered in disbelieving joy. She looked so young and vulnerable in her gratitude for such a commonplace treat it nearly broke his heart, but instead Blair grinned back at her and spoke in that peculiarly gentle guide way "_Drink, while I open your sandwiches, they aren't a proper meal but should make you feel better almost immediately"_

She sipped the chocolate with her eyes closed and she unconsciously broadcast the comfort she was feeling. The tension holding the Sentinels relaxed a little as they reacted to her feelings.

_"Thank you_" she whispered gratefully

Blair wouldn't let anyone say anything until she had eaten the sandwiches and swallowed two cups of the delicious hot chocolate.

As she handed him the cup back, she risked a quick look around the room, at the Sentinels alternately watching her, and watching the Sentinel who was restrained.

She avoided looking into his eyes, she would be lost forever if she looked into his beautiful eyes, she had to know what was going to happen now, to her and her brother. She wasn't stupid enough to believe that they would let her go, not when she had the Alpha Prime and his clan guide hand feeding her food and drink, and her supposed chosen sentinel being restrained in the same room.

She took a deep breath, and the Sentinels could feel her anxiety come to the fore again as she turned to face the Guide, because he was the least scary option at the moment.

"_What is going to happen to us sir?_" she tried to ask calmly, but nervousness made her stutter slightly on the last word. She could feel the green eyed Sentinel stiffen but she couldn't look at him. Instead she raised her expressive eyes to the Guide and allowed him to see the swirling fear, one solitary tear sliding down her cheek again.

The Guide didn't take his eyes from her as he held his hand out to the side, and the one of the Sentinels gave him a familiar shabby purple backpack. He could see her start to tremble. She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. Oh God what did she do now? She had been bought up to do what she had to, and then she had learnt the hard way how to run and hide, how to make sure everything she did, said or thought served one purpose only, to protect Castiel. How did she get them out of this?

* * *

**AN:**

There are two more chapters to go in this part of the fic and then its Part II Whispers of Love. Would love to hear what you think so far? Hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimers:**

No infringement intended, they belong to their owners, not me.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The Guide opened the bag and took out the three passports, and spread them out on the chair next to her. She refused to look at them and take her eyes away from the suddenly opaque and expressionless blue ones staring straight into hers.

The watching Sentinels saw the blood drain from her face, making her look even younger and more terrified; they already knew she and her brother were illegals. She wouldn't have gone out on a moon hunt night to get to a free medical clinic if they weren't. It wasn't a hard deduction to make.

The Alpha Prime Jim Ellison, a Lieutenant in the Major Crimes unit of the Cascade PD had already run the fake ID's through the system. The girl and child were not registered with the Guide Centre, they hadn't been tested as far as anyone knew but damn she was powerful and the boy was probably a strong contender for the centre too. He had ordered a search through the missing person's databases which were still running. Unsurprisingly they were not registered anywhere, they were living off the grid, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, and not come to the attention of any authorities.  
She was good too, the fact that she had the smarts and the cojones to actually lie to the largest hunting pack of Sentinels that had gathered together in the last three years and damn well nearly get away with it, meant she had courage and she would do anything for her little brother and although he had been angry with her last night, he had a sneaky admiration for the fact that she had tried.

They were running for a reason and Ellison needed to know who or what was chasing them because she and the little boy were pack now, she was his to take care of just like the rest of his Sentinels and Guides, and no-one was going to harm either of them. As Alphas, he and Blair had already officially claimed them as family pack, in effect they had parental and Alpha rights over them, Blair and he had never claimed any children pack or non pack before but he was taking no chances, if the bonding with Winchester wasn't a success, she would be protected, and the little boy would have a home with them no matter what.

He had already registered them with the Guide centre, although it would have been taken care of when she bonded with Winchester. And by all that was holy, she was going to bond with him; there was no way that Jim was going to allow a Guide of her untrained power to slip through the Clan's fingers. She had power, incredible power, the unconscious barrier she had flung up against the pack, which had repelled and attracted then in equal measure until enough of the pack had assembled as a critical mass which allowed them to surround her and then that warning slap at Blair had reverberated not just through the Sentinels and Guides in that circle around her, but had been reported by the rest of the clan on the hunt last night.  
His mate Blair was incredibly strong and properly trained but he could use all the help he could get in these dangerous times and as Alpha Prime he wanted her where he could see her. She was too much of an asset to let go, especially since one of his Sentinels had already started to imprint on her.

No the registration was not a problem; the three fake ID's and the rest of the fugitive toolkit they had found in her backpack were the problem. Where had she come from and where were they going? Who was helping her, why was she running? Too many unanswered questions. These would be answered because she and her brother were now under the protection of the pack, and the wider clan and they had to know what they were dealing with because there would be no mercy for any threat to those kids.

He would normally have led this type of questioning but Blair had pulled rank on him as Alpha Guide an unregistered and untested guide was his responsibility.

They saw the tears start to flow down her face as if she couldn't cope with any more and heard the hitch in her breathing as she tried to stop herself from sobbing aloud. There was a low desperate growl from her green eyed sentinel which was barely silenced this time by the look from his Alpha but then she felt that familiar gentle nudge at her mind again, offering comfort, and she let her self relax into that caress for a few seconds which calmed her down, until she raised her shields again.

Blair could see the effect Dean's mental touch had on her. He was also well aware that the Sentinel couldn't last much longer without claiming his mate and guide.  
It was only because Dean was as bone deep stubborn as the rest of his legendary hunter family, that the man wasn't climbing the walls and trying to take down any Sentinels within a five mile radius.

Damn it, the questions could wait until the bonding process was complete. The girl wasn't going anywhere without her Sentinel, and they could make sure the child was safe. Jim was going to be pissed but he was changing the plan. He was going to make an executive decision and Jim could complain as much as he liked, Blair had a duty of care to all guides and sentinels of the panther clan. And man, these two were in dire need of some enlightened care and attention. Every other guide and sentinel paired last night were safely in the midst of the bonding process, which is where these two would be heading, if he had any say in the matter, then he smirked, because he did have the only say in the matter. Man it was going to take some concentrated bonding action for Jim to get over his snit on this one.

They would solve the mystery when she was safely bonded, when she could trust them.

He picked up the three passports and put them back in the backpack, the girl widened her eyes in confusion, and the Alpha Prime growled at his guide, who grinned unrepentantly at him. There was only one thing he needed to know before setting this in motion.

"_How old are you sweetheart?"_ he asked the girl, if she was underage then they would go back to Plan B in a heartbeat. Jim and he had already registered their parental claim with the Centre; no-one was going to argue with the Alpha Sentinel and Alpha Guide on that one, so now the little con artist and her brother were officially part of the Ellison and Sandburg Family pack. Not that he was going to tell her anytime soon, he just knew that she would find some way to use that knowledge to her advantage.  
And Dean Winchester would just have to wait, there were ways Blair as a Shaman and pack Guide could ease the pain for him but there would still be discomfort until she was old enough. Although he would have the sure and certain knowledge that she was his and he was hers.

He repeated the question as she seemed not to understand what he had said the first time.

She frowned in tired confusion at him and then gave a self mocking wicked little smile, "_It wouldn't be any use to try to lie now would it_?" in a teasing mournful voice which made all the Sentinels look at her in surprise and amusement, even the stern faced Alpha grinned at her cheek whilst the Guide staring at her thanked the fact that she was so exhausted. He had serious doubts that they would still have the upper hand in the situation if she wasn't so physically tired. God knew how they would handle her when she was back to normal; this kid had run rings round them last night even though they had technically "won".  
He was sure Jim knew how much of a challenge she was going to be, but it wouldn't hurt to take some precautions and try to make sure she didn't get the chance to bolt again. He smiled at her, waiting for the answer to his original question, ignoring the anxiety being broadcast by her Sentinel. Her head tilted towards Winchester as if she couldn't help it, and then she capitulated with a small sigh. "_It was my birthday yesterday; I turned eighteen on the moonhunt"_They could all hear the truth in her reluctant words.

Relief dissipated the Sentinel's anxiety but her admission seemed to make her more nervous, the smile which had illuminated her angelic features had disappeared.

Damn it she was still too young for this, not by the letter of the law but it still didn't feel right. Blair supposed he should be relieved that she had turned eighteen, so he stood up and held out his hand encouragingly, a mischievous smile deliberately lighting his face. She instinctively looked at her Sentinel- to- be and seeing no objection, she took the Guide's hand.

"_Joel, Simon, release Winchester_" he ordered softly. Oddly he felt the girl flinch but ignored it for a second and then said "_Dean come here_", the two Betas looked at their Alpha, who narrowed his eyes at his Guide. Blair just raised one eyebrow at him, the smile not leaving his face. Jim sighed and nodded once.

Dean moved with incredible speed, and suddenly he was there next to the pair of them, his eyes not leaving his little guide. His little guide who was now looking at him as if he was her worst nightmare. Blair looked at her with confusion, and the other Sentinels were beginning to frown. Dean looked at her with puzzlement and one hand reached to touch her pale cheek, but to his surprise it was taken by Sandburg who held it tightly.

As they stared at her hoping for a clue towards her reaction, god knows she'd had a tough night but she had seemed to relax every time she had focused on Dean, so what the hell was wrong.

She swallowed and they could see her beginning to shake "Winchester" she whispered in horror, as if she couldn't help herself, staring up at the Sentinel who was only held back from her by the firm hand of the Clan Guide.  
Dean let out an instinctive growl of protest as she took a step back and then another, not taking her terrified eyes of the frowning puzzled and concerned man, until she backed unexpectedly into the Alpha Prime, and before she could pull away, his hands came up and started to gently rub up and down her arms.

To everyone's surprise, even her own she spun round and burrowed her face against Ellison's chest needing the comfort on an almost cellular level and not having the strength to fight that as well as her conflicting emotions about the beautiful confused hurting Sentinel standing beside the Guide. She allowed herself to feel safe, and protected. It had been so long and it would only be for a little while, just a little while then she could be strong again.

One powerful arm wrapped itself around her shoulders, and a big hand settled on her neck, fingers threading through dishevelled curls offering comfort and peace.

"_Trust us kid_" Jim purred softly "_Just trust us, it will be ok_".

She raised her head and looked into those incredible blue eyes for a few seconds with such longing to believe him that it hurt his heart, and then anger took its place when he saw it fade and instead the distrust and fear was back under cover of the bravado.

She stiffened as she drew away from him, regretting the weakness she had shown in front of these predators. For a few seconds she was unnerved as she heard the low rumble of his growl and felt his arms refuse to let her go. So she did the one thing she knew would make him step back from her, emotionally and mentally.  
She couldn't afford to trust any of them. She had to look after Castiel.

She wriggled her shoulders out of his hold and looked back at the Clan Guide and demanded. _"Promise me you won't hurt Castiel_".  
There was a disbelieving silence and hey presto all the Sentinels looked instantly offended and their frowns grew as she continued shakily, her hands clenched. "_Promise me you won't let anyone hurt my brother_"

Blair Sandburg stared at her with dismay, noticing that she didn't include herself in the promise "_Sweetie, we are Guides and Sentinels of the Panther Pack and not one would hurt a child or you for that matter"_

The hands absentmindedly stroking her arms had dropped away and the Alpha had backed away from her, turning into a rigid column of anger.

She looked at Blair with disbelief "_Promise me_" she insisted through gritted teeth. She couldn't look at the pain and confusion in green eyed Sentinel's face and she ignored his softly questioning "_Gabrielle?_"

_"__No_" Jim Ellison growled angrily "_that's_ _an offensive request and I won't allow it"_

She turned slowly to face him, it was taking all of her courage, because after offering her comfort he had turned back into that big, scary, growly, huge, Sentinel and his stance was menacing but she raised her head and looked him straight in the eye; her voice was quiet, certain and unapologetic

"_My family were in Ghent when the advance guard of the Republican Sentinel army commanded by General Winchester attacked,"_ there was a pause and then she said simply "_I had an older brother"_

Her voice was empty of all emotion but she refused to look away from the Alpha's face. Although she wasn't looking at him, she felt her Sentinel flinch as if it was her own flesh. The rugged tan on Ellison's face paled and he closed his eyes for a second, and then looked back at her.

"_Bad things happen in war kid_" but there was no bite to his words, she cringed as if he had stuck her, but her voice didn't change as she asked softly "_To a children's hospital Alpha?"_  
Before he could answer her, and he didn't know how he could, she turned back to Blair and re-iterated "_Promise me on behalf of the pack that no-one will be allowed to hurt my brother"_

To her shock Ellison dropped to his knees in front of her, and damn he was still taller than she was and she still had to look up into his eyes, and spoke solemnly, "_As Alpha Prime of the Panther clan I swear that no harm will befall your brother because of the actions of a Sentinel or a Guide."_

He saw her eyes fill with tears of relief, and then continued _"And no harm will befall you"_

* * *

_AN:_

_Okay only one more chapter to go. Then its onto Part II, Whispers of Love._

_No infringement intended, hope you enjoy and would love to know what you think about the story.. hint hint._

_Thanks_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Gabrielle pulled the truck into the off road play area. She was so careful with the vehicle, she didn't want to damage it, and she really didn't want to explain to Alpha Ellison that as well as nicking his precious "Sweetheart", she had also put dents in it.

Of course she hadn't expected to explain anything to him when she had managed to get Castiel out of the hospital under the noses of the waiting Sentinels and finding his truck after overhearing that useful conversation. The big man had given his mate some grief for not refueling it properly, then abandoning it in the clinic parking lot, calling him a hopeless neo hippie whilst Sandburg had countered by calling him an unreconstructed uptight militaristic Neanderthal and told him exactly where it was and where he could shove it.

She knew that her decision making had not been of the wisest for the last forty eight hours, and when she had realised that not only was Ellison the Alpha of the state clan, he was also a sodding Lieutenant of the Cascade Police department and that she had stolen his vehicle, the very same vehicle which had a tracking device and a police radio, in her last ditch attempt to get herself and Castiel away to safety, away from the uncomfortable and frightening feelings that were being raked up by the whole sorry situation, well she was now at the stage where she didn't think anything could frighten her any more, oh no now she was too bloody terrified to breath.

Cas had been sleeping for most of the trip, which was good, he was recovering nicely but the more he slept the quicker he would heal.  
She'd originally thought they would get over the border and leave the vehicle, camp out in the forest for a few days before finding a sympathetic face. They had done it before and Ellison actually had some useful camping gear in the back of the truck, but then she had heard the police chatter about the roadblocks and the officers and Sentinel Hunters called in from leave, and even for the love of God, Swat teams, bloody Swat teams, they were sending Swat teams after them as if they were bloody violent criminals, what the hell!.

And then things had become so much worse! Alpha Ellison's voice had come over the radio, official and so cold it made her shiver, telling her that her only chance to remedy the situation before anyone was hurt was to turn the truck round and find the nearest patrol car. That the only charge she faced at the moment was theft of a vehicle but if she took Castiel over the border it would be kidnapping as he was now the a member of the Ellison Sandburg Family Pack, therefore a ward of the Alpha Sentinel and the Alpha Guide and he would personally make sure she went to Jail.

And the conspicuous absence of the soothing compassionate voice of the Alpha Guide made it horribly real. There would be no intervention from him. Only the Alpha Sentinel would have any say in this. And he was really, really, really angry with her, and not only was he the Clan Alpha but he was also a policeman whose vehicle she had stolen. Way to go Gabrielle. How the hell had she buggered this up so spectacularly?

Dear God she was so glad Castiel was asleep and he couldn't see the frightened tears pour down her face.

This escape attempt had been a spur of the moment decision. When the Alpha had promised no one would hurt Castiel, before anyone else could say anything, Cas had screamed for her in terror, she had raced passed the Sentinels and Guide and burst into his room, where he was sitting upright in bed.  
"_Elle, Elle, you weren't here, I didn't know where you were"_ the little boy sobbed piteously into her neck as she had launched herself at him.

_"__Its alright baby, I'm here now, not going anywhere_" she soothed him as she glared at the men who followed her in, the Guide, Ellison and the Winchester Sentinel who had followed her through the door, daring them to contradict her to the distraught little boy. She kicked off her shoes, climbed onto the bed beside him and took him in arms, murmuring comforting nonsense

She gave them a swift dismissive glance and then turned her back on them as she said simply "_He needs to sleep_", and then started to rock the little boy gently.

She was so tired and she'd had enough. They could play their stupid Sentinel games with someone else; she was going to have a kip with her baby brother. She didn't even hear the door close on them as they backed out of the room.

She shifted slightly to get more comfortable and felt something dig into her hip.  
Then she remembered when she had turned to the big Alpha for comfort, her hand had brushed against the keys in his jacket pocket and on reflex she had appropriated them. She hadn't intended to do it, but something in her nature always made her take advantage of possible opportunities. Sometimes it was the only thing between being free, being trapped, or even eating that particular day for her and Cas. She had been doing it for so long that it had become instinctive and she couldn't turn it off, especially in threatening and stressful situations

Oh hell, she would find a way to return them to him without making it look obvious she had pick pocketed him. And on that thought she finally dropped off into an exhausted sleep, grateful to be holding her baby brother close.

It was the sound of voices which finally woke her, she had been vaguely aware of someone checking on the pair of them and then she rose through the layers of sleep until she was awake, the door was slightly ajar and she could hear the conversation outside in the corridor.

_"He'll stay with us and we can get him tested at the centre. The bonding needs to begin as soon as possible, and the two of them will need to be separated until the Sentinel Guide bond is complete. The kid will adjust to the new situation and then we can decide what's best for them_"

It was the Alpha Sentinel's voice and as the meaning behind the words finally penetrated, Gabrielle felt the ice flow through her veins and head towards her heart. She felt sick with fear and anger again.

They were going to take her little brother away from her. Who the hell did they think they were ? They were going to decide what was best for them and leave her with a bloody Winchester, a relative of the man who had caused her brother's death, who had brutally subdued the inhabitants of that town, and then became regional Governor until the uneasy truce between the fledgling Western Sentinel Republic and the Free Cities of Europa was signed and sealed. A Winchester, she was going to be bonded to a Winchester, and once he found out she was of the Host clan , he would be within his rights to kill both her and Castiel as part of the blood feud the Host clan had never rescinded, even after the truce was signed.  
Michael the great warrior leader of the Host clan had never forgiven the Winchesters for Uriel's death. No that was enough, she wasn't going to think about this, she hadn't thought about her famil….. The Host clan for a very long time and she wasn't going to start now.

Panic flooded her body and she looked at the precious child beside her. They weren't going to separate them, they had never been parted and it wasn't going to happen now. They had to fly, and Alpha Ellison had given her the means. She felt for the keys she had hidden under the pillows.

It was oddly easy to get out of the clinic, there had been an influx of people after a six car pile up and the Sentinel assigned to watch their door had been caught up in helping the walking wounded. A wheelchair had been left in the room, and Gabrielle had bundled her little brother up and walked him calmly out of the clinic towards the car park. One of the most useful things Ruby had ever taught her was to always look like she belonged, to never run, and walk with confidence to where she needed to go.

You only got challenged if you looked nervous or as if you weren't supposed to be there.

She had lifted Castiel into the truck and then sat in the driving seat, trying to convince herself that this was a good idea. That the pair of them wouldn't be better off under the protection of that big Alpha and that she shouldn't be with the Sentinel, her Sentinel who just happened to be a Winchester, and the blood enemy of her clan, and why did that make a difference because since she had run with Castiel, her clan were now her enemies and what the hell was that old saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Her head dropped to the steering wheel in despair. She didn't know what to do. She turned slightly to look at her dark haired sleeping little brother, he looked like a little cherub and she loved him so much and they would have killed him when he was still a baby. They would still kill him if they found him.

He had grown into a funny clever loving little boy with an old soul behind those beautiful blue eyes, and she had so desperately wanted to stop running, to give him a normal life, where he could go to school, and make friends and have a garden and a puppy and a big old tree with a tree house where he could escape and dream his dreams.  
Only she couldn't give that to him, she couldn't give him the life he should have, the only thing she could do for him was to keep running to keep him safe.

But if they had the protection of a powerful clan like the Panthers then maybe he could have the things he needed, maybe if she could convince them to allow her to still look after him, maybe they could stop running and start living. Did she have the courage to trust them with the life and happiness of her little brother? Or was this a pathetic attempt by her instincts to get her to stay with her Sentinel? She gave a hysterical little giggle which turned into a sob.

She raised her head and stared out of the windshield, and saw the Sentinels suddenly stream out of the clinic, scanning the area.

Shit they already knew she and Cas had left the building, she'd better stop this now and take him back in. It was a stupid idea, better to face them now and accept their anger, she'd say she was sorry and just scared and they would scold but no harm done and they could sort something out. Then she saw Ellison and Winchester as they came out of the clinic. Her breath stilled. Oh God they looked so angry and they were staring straight at the vehicle.

She knew with their enhanced sight they could see her sitting there staring back at them, hell they could probably see the pulse beating frantically in her neck and the way she was trying to swallow with her dry mouth.

She felt paralyzed with fear as she saw the two big men begin to run towards the truck, and the hard cold anger in both their faces. But it was Winchester who truly frightened her at that moment, she couldn't help it, she started the vehicle. The instinct for flight which had saved their lives for so long kicked in and she wanted to be as far away from the pair of them as possible. The urge to submit to the Sentinel was hovering under her skin like an insistent itch but logic and good sense be damned, she was working in adrenaline fueled fear. When they heard the noise of the engine, the two Sentinels increased their speed and the other Sentinels began to head towards her as well.

The truck took off like a bat out of hell and the tyres squealed in protest.

She made it out of the car park on instinct, not thinking just fleeing. There were no vehicles following her yet but she knew they would be there soon. She couldn't even think about where she was going because she could feel the "guide sentinel pull" and she had to get far enough away that it would stop aching.

She had driven for nearly twenty minutes when she knew just how stupid a decision this had been. She sat in the drivers seat, listening to the radio, listening to the really scary voice of the Alpha and barely restraining herself from lifting the radio to tell him how sorry she was and beg for forgiveness.

She saw the sign for the picnic area and the playground, and decided that's where she was going to wait for the Authorities to catch up to them.

As she stopped the vehicle Castiel woke up and stared at his big sister in confusion, _"Elle"_ he murmured. She smiled lovingly at him and pulled him into her lap, not noticing that his leg knocked the radio transmitter on.

"_How are you feeling Castiel?_" she asked gently, he smiled at her but just burrowed closer to her neck. For long seconds she indulged her need for comfort and kept him close, while rubbing small soothing circles into his back. Then she sighed.

_"Cas_" she tried, but had to clear her throat, "_Castiel, I'm so sorry baby boy but I've done something really silly_"

Castiel looked up at her with a loving smile "_S'okay Elle,_" he consoled her with a little pat on her face.

_"No baby, you don't understand, I have to explain, my silly thing, well it means there are people who are cross with me and I will be punished"_

"_Just say you are sorry Gabrielle, you always forgive me when I say I'm sorry_" he added earnestly

She smiled at him with tears pricking her eyes, and gave him a fierce hug, then held his dear little face in her hands

"_Your right Castiel, I will say sorry but saying sorry won't be enough this time because I have been very silly and naughty so_..." her voice wavered and then grew stronger after a deep breath "_so I might have to go away for a while, but there are some nice people who will look after you for me until I come back"_

Castiel looked up at her, his eyes widened with disbelief and fear. Her heart hurt, she had put that expression on his face. She tried to smile reassuringly but the expression on his face didn't change

"_Elle, I don't want anyone else, you can't go away, we always stay together._" he offered in a confused upset voice, not taking his eyes off her.

She drew a calming breath and tried to smile encouragingly, she wouldn't upset him by crying she wouldn't!

"_Honey, you will get to play with other kids, it will be fun and Guide Ellison and the Alpha promised you would be safe"_ it hurt so much she felt hollow inside as if pretty soon she was going to fold in on herself.

_"No, Elle_" the little boy began to cry, and she wiped his tears away

_"I'm so sorry Baby, I've been really stupid and this is my fault, I wasn't strong enough, fast enough or clever enough to get us out of this but, but they swore no-one will harm you and you have to promise me something_".

The urgency in her voice made the crying little boy look up at his sister

_"You have to promise me you will be a good boy for them, please Cas"_ and she thought silently in her head, don't give them an excuse baby, please be good please. "_Word of a Messenger baby boy"_

The little boy stared at her, knowing it was important or his Elle wouldn't make him promise like that, that was their most important, unbreakable promise but he didn't want to promise, he didn't want to be good, he wanted Elle, he wanted his sister, he didn't want to go to some stupid people and play with some stupid kids, he didn't want to and he wasn't going to, he was gonna stay with his Elle forever and ever and when he was a big boy he was gonna look after her and then he looked into her pretty eyes, he loved her eyes, they always smiled at him even when her lips didn't, and saw how sad her pretty eyes said she really was. He hated when Elle was sad, she always worked so hard, he hated, hated hated to see her sad, so he drew in a big breath, the way Elle had taught him when he needed to be brave about something and nodded reluctantly _"Promise, word of a Messenger_" he whispered.

He clung to her like a limpet as she soothed him with soft words and kisses.

_"Sweetie, look we stopped at a play park_" Castiel turned his head from where it was tucked into her neck as he sat on her lap and looked out of the windows as he listened to the voice he loved best in the whole world.

_"We haven't had a chance to play in a park for ages have we? Just you and me? Why don't we go have some fun baby, that way we both have something nice to think about when we have to be apart for a while. So when we get sad about not being together, we can think about the fun we had in the Park. What do you reckon, what shall we play on first, the swings?_"

Castiel looked up at her, at the hopeful expression on his big sister's face, and his sad little face lit up as he suddenly chuckled, _"Can we fly high to the sky Elle_" Her soft and fervent answer made his smile even wider.  
"_We'll fly high enough to touch the clouds baby boy_"

Ellison, Sandburg and Winchester and the following police team heard every word of their conversation. The Guide winced and his face broadcast his sympathy for the pair but the two Sentinels remained as carefully blank faced as they had been when they saw the truck pull out of the parking lot.

The chasing Sentinels were at the playground within ten minutes of the overheard conversation. However Ellison would not allow the team to move in until the girl and her little brother had been on every ride in the play ground. Twice.

* * *

**AN:**

**No infringement intended**

This is the last chapter of Echoes of Mercy. Part 1 of Angels Descending Series. Hope you enjoyed the story so far

Part 2. Whispers of Love is about the bonding process between Gabrielle and Dean which will not be easy because Dean feels betrayed and needs to assert himself as a Sentinel and Elle still wants to run.

Part 3 Angels Descending will finish the story when the Host descend on Cascade.


End file.
